Thanks to our friend and advisor Dr. Google, pet owners today are exposed to a lot of misleading information about the nutrition of dogs and cats and may be offering their pets a suboptimal diet. At the 2020 virtual Fetch dvm360® conference, pet nutrition expert Robin Saar debunked some of the biggest misconceptions related to animal nutrition, which our editorial team at Best-Pets.shop would like to bring closer to you in this article. Because in the end, we all want only the best and most useful things to be in the ceramic bowl of our furry friend.
Myth 1: Meat should be the main ingredient in pet food.
Ingredients on pet food packaging are usually listed in descending order by weight, which means it is impossible to determine the true amount or quality of an ingredient. "We also cannot be sure how the ingredients are used to provide nutrients, or how those nutrients are available for absorption," says Saar.
She warned that manufacturers could adulterate pet food by setting multiple ingredients to the same weight, making the food appear more attractive to the buyer. "Packaging that lists meat as ingredient #1 could be a kind of deception because the meat might provide a lower protein percentage but could have the same weight as the next 5 to 10 ingredients," Saar explained.
Myth 2: A high-protein diet is better.
Pet stores often market pet food with 25 to 35 percent protein, which is well above the usual 18% required by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), for example. According to Saar, excess protein can not only be converted into fat but can also cause flatulence or temporary poor stool quality.
"It is the quality, not the quantity of protein in the diet that distinguishes the value," she said. It is by no means better to consume more of a lower-quality protein, and a higher protein content does not necessarily mean that the protein is digestible or that the food is better for the pet, she added.
Myth 3: The more fruit and vegetable ingredients, the better.
Although dog and cat owners usually assume that a long list of fruit and vegetable ingredients is healthier for their pets, this ingredient list does not immediately reveal what nutrients these fruits and vegetables provide to your beloved four-legged friends, said Saar.
Some nutrients are used as antioxidants to preserve the food. The fact is that fruits and vegetables do not necessarily make pet food healthier. Owners must do thorough research to find out the quality of the ingredients and actually verify exactly what the manufacturers are adding to the pet's food.
Myth 4: Organic and natural pet food is healthier.
Words like "natural," "organic," and "holistic" are currently trending, but are foods with these labels actually healthier for pets? Not necessarily, said Saar. There are no research studies that demonstrably claim that natural or organic foods provide better nutrients.
Myth 5: Gluten and grains are bad for pets.
Gluten-free and grain-free pet foods are becoming increasingly popular with pet owners, but are they really that harmful to our beloved four-legged friends? The answer: a clear no. "The carbohydrates and proteins that grains provide give pet food nutritional value and structure," she said, "and grains spare protein by providing energy that allows proteins to be used for building or maintaining muscle and tissue." Saar also noted that sensitivity to gluten is rare in dogs and has not been proven in cats at all.
Myth 7: Raw food is far superior to dry food.
That is also not true. Many pet owners think that raw meat is the best for their dogs and cats because they would eat that in the wild. Well, maybe, but our pets do not live in the wild and therefore may not tolerate raw meat. Here are a few tips that Saar shares with all owners who are thinking about switching to raw food:
Contaminated meat:
Pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Clostridium from raw food can lead to potential health risks for vulnerable individuals in the household, including babies, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. Sources of contamination can be dishes used to prepare and feed raw food, the food itself, as well as the pet's saliva and feces.
Balanced nutrition:
Without appropriate labeling on the food, the owner does not know whether the diet is balanced for the animal, according to Saar, and this could easily lead to a nutrient excess or, conversely, a deficiency for the pet. For example, feeding raw liver to a cat daily as a main dietary component causes vitamin A toxicity.
Bones:
Uncooked bones in raw food can break the pet's teeth or tear or irreversibly damage the esophagus, stomach, or intestines.
Myth 8: Cats can eat a vegan diet.
"Cats are true carnivores, and they definitely need their daily portion of meat," says Saar. Cats cannot process plant-based taurine sources, only meat sources. Cats that lack arginine can become deathly ill within hours, said Saar. "A vegan diet for cats is almost impossible."
In a nutshell…
With so much information that we have thrown at you in this post, it is no wonder that customers are flocking to the internet in droves to get answers to their questions about pet food, but it is precisely our job to provide them with accurate information on animal nutrition, says Saar at the conference. Ultimately, we all just want the best for our animal friends.
